Look into our eyes. We are going to try to hypnotize each other.
Let's talk about that.
♪ (theme music) ♪
- Good Mythical Morning. - Boopity boop boop boop!
Right off the bat, I'm doing the research thing, 'cause y'all, (clicks tongue)...
- …we've done some research. - Wow.
We've never gotten into research so fast.
- On (research "boops")… - It's very hasty.
…hypnosis. Are you interested in entering a trance-like state where the
subject -- I'm asking you and me -- exhibits heightened focus, concentration…
- Yes. Yes. Yes. - …and has an enhanced capacity...
- …and response to suggestion? - Yes, I would like to be suggested.
Well then you would like to be hypnotized. There's lots of different ways that you
can hypnotize people. You don't just have to dangle something in front of 'em.
- In fact, I don't think that works at all. - Well, who are we to say?
- I don't know. We don't know anything. - But there are lots of techniques...
- …that we've discovered. - But we're gonna do it.
- It's never stopped us before. - Right. So there's two general types
of hypnosis that we found. One is just… I call general hypnosis,
- or slow hypnosis. Yeah. - YOU call it that, huh?
Because it's… It's called slow hypnosis, but it's what I just think of as hypnosis.
- Right. - It's typically used in therapy sessions,
- okay? Yeah or to deal with something - Get people to stop smoking.
in their past, or some habit, or -- I don't know. I've never been under
- for that. But there's also a whole - Biting your nails.
family called speed hypnosis, which I'm also familiar with. I know you are too.
It's more of the stage performant (stammering) hypnotic stuff.
- (chuckling) Whoa. - Stage performant hypnotic stuff.
- Performance. - I think that's the… performant.
- I made up that word. - (Rhett and crew offscreen laughing)
- Are you hypnotized right now? - Yes.
You've been hypnotized to not be able to correctly say things.
- So you've seen it… - That's cool.
- Yeah, my whole life. - (laughing)
You've seen it. There's a hypnotist on stage, and he gets someone out of the
crowd, and he's like… You know, he hypnotizes them and then he's like,
"Hey, dance like an Ewok when I say the word 'bubbles.'"
- Right. I've been there. - And then like der-der-der...
- …and everybody's laughing at you, - Seen that.
- and then you snap 'em out of it, - Right.
and they don't know what happened. They didn't know they've been Ewoked.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Here is a speed hypnosis demonstration
video that I found on YouTube. It's done in a living room, not on a stage.
But this is gonna serve as inspira-shee-on for us.
All right. Follow my fingers with your eyes. With your head. Your head gets
heavy. Your head drops down. Follow my fingers. Follow my fingers.
- Whoa, did he hurt him? - There he goes.
On the count of three, stare at my finger tip.
See how fast he's doing it?
Follow my palm. Follow my palm. (continued)
Fall asleep. (snaps) Five, four, three, two, one.
- What? - (snaps) Wide awake.
On the count of three, there's a golden, white light energy ball between your hands.
- There is? I don't see it. - Right here. Blindingly bright,
eyes closing. You get an image in your mind with your eyes closed.
Energy coming together with the magnetism of the sun, the natural energy attracting.
(Link impersonating hypnotist's accent) "Enagee bahwl. There's an enagee bahwl."
- And it keeps us happy and safe. - Keeps us happy and safe? ...
- …What are you talking about? - Least most of all planet Earth.
And feeling wonderful, happy, calm, and free. (snaps) Sleep.
- "Drifting into a place of happiness… - We're gonna do that to each other.
…with the enagee bawl." Now, we're not gonna do any of those,
but we have each picked our favorite two speed hypnosis techniques, and
we're gonna try them on each other. I don't know what yours are. You don't know
what mine are. And I'm gonna go first. here's my first technique. Are you ready?
Yes, let's get hypnotized!
- ♪ (eerie bells) ♪ - (Link) The stiff arm method.
- Hello, sir. What's your name? - Rhett.
Rhett, we just met. Rhett, we just met. Met, I just, just Rhett.
- Good to meet you. - Yes?
- Way to meet you there, Mr. Rhett. - We've known each other a long time.
We just met, Rhett. Met, we just Rhett. Okay. Here we go. Are you ready for this?
I just want you to relax. I don't want you to analyze anything I'm saying. If you
think that there's any errors, that's totally fine. It's all part of it.
I'm gonna grab your arm here, and I'm gonna raise this thing out here.
Solid and rigid like a piece of steel. Solid and rigid. Solid and rigid and
powerful. Then I'm gonna take and I'm gonna make a fist here. I'm gonna make
a solid, powerful fist. Solid and rigid and powerful. Solid and rigid and powerful.
- Look at my elbow. - Solid and rigid and powerful.
Please don't talk. Just relax. Don't look at your elbow.
Don't be self-conscious. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Concentrate on
what I'm saying. Solid and rigid and powerful. Your arm is solid and rigid and
powerful, I'm gonna let my hands go. You're gonna retain this position
of solidity, rigidity, and powerfulness. Solid and rigid and powerful.
Solid and rigid and powerful. Hold it up. Hold it up there.
The more you think about your arm dropping and your arm bending,
the more it stays solid and rigid and powerful. You're gonna try to make
it bend, and go, and come down, but it's not, because it's solid and
rigid and powerful. It is totally solid and rigid and powerful. And then as
you continue to hold that position, I'm gonna touch you on the forehead.
Solid and rigid and powerful. And then you are gonna fall into a deep sleep.
Solid and rigid and powerful. Solid and rigid and powerful. The more you try to
drop it, the more it stays right there. Solid and rigid and powerful, aaaand
Sleep!
(crew offscreen laughing)
- I'm just kidding. (laughing) - (laughing) For one little second.
- I got you, didn't I? (laughing) - You almost broke the table.
- For one second. - I gave it everything I had.
- I knew I wasn't… - I think that's what people do at the
- shows, man. - I was trying hard, but I didn't think
- I was being effective. - (laughing)
And so it was like, "Good gosh! Your head's heavy."
- (laughing) - But there was a little moment when
- I got a little excited.. - Nah, I was feeling nothing, man.
It was just weird. I saw my elbow on there. How did the skin get like that?
- You were distracted. It's your fault… - (crew offscreen laughing)
- …not my fault. - It is. Look at that! Something's wrong
with me, y'all. We need to go some do-- It's 'cause I'm so pointy.
- All right, it's your turn. - Oh, yes.
- ♪ (eerie music) ♪ - (Rhett) The direct gaze method.
Okay, I wasn't hypnotized by your technique, but I believe you can be
- hypnotized by my technique, Link. - I really want this to work.
I want you to fix your gaze right here.
I do not want you to speak. I do not want you to say "Uh-huh," "Yes," or how
you're feeling unless I ask you to. Do you understand?
- Uh-huh. - I didn't ask you to say that.
- I was testing you. - I know that you understand and hear
me just as you know that you hear and understand me. Don't smile.
(chuckling) I mean, your finger's platered to your face.
I'm supposed to say that. If you follow my simple instructions, you will fall into a
pleasant, hypnotic state unlink anything you've every experienced.
Now, take a deep breath and fill your lungs. (inhaling)
- Exhale. That's fine. - (exhaling)
Now take a deep breath and fill your lungs again.
- (inhaling) - Exhale.
- (exhaling) - That's fine. Inhale.
- (inhaling) - Exhale.
- (exhaling) - That's fine.
- Inhale. - (inhaling)
- Exhale. - (exhaling)
Now I'm gonna begin counting down from five. Five. And as I begin to count down
from five, your eyelids are getting heavy, very droopy, as if there are weights on
them. Four. And you continue to say, "Oh, my goodness. My eyelids are getting
so heavy." Your eyes being to close. Three.
Oh my goodness, my eyelids are getting so heavy.
You don't… You're saying that in your head.
- You said say it. - Don't say anything.
(crew snickering offscreen)
But your eyelids are getting very heavy. Two. They're getting so...
(Rhett & Link snickering)
- You have to go back a little bit. - Five. I'm counting down from five.
And you're getting sleepier and sleepier.
Four. And your eyelids are getting heavier and heavier and heavier. Three.
Your lip is quivering a little bit. Is that something that's supposed to happen?
No, it's not. Three. And now the eyelids feel as if they are beginning to close.
They have weights on them. Two. You're beginning to close your eyes. The eyes are
so heavy and droopy. They are -- One. Closing, closing, closing… (continued)
- Sleep now! - What?
- (everyone on and offscreen laughing) - What?!
- What? "Sleep now?" - That's what you're supposed to do.
What are you trying to do? Is that like a wresting move?
That's what they told me to do in my research.
There was a moment -- I swear to you -- before you tried to snatch my head off,
- that I was about to fall asleep. - That's the last part.
And I was grinning like a monkey the whole time.
You come down, you come down, and like "Sleep now!" And then...
But it didn't work. Sorry. We still got two more though.
- That was scary at the end there. - (crew laughing offscreen)
It was kinda silly at the first part. Very scary at the end.
- Thought it was gonna hurt ya? - (snaps) Let me try one.
- ♪ (eerie bells) ♪ - (Link) The spinning hands method.
Okay, Brett. I need you to relax. Okay? And then I'm just gonna
come behind you here, and I'm gonna grab your arms, and then stay relaxed.
And then I'm gonna move them in a motion like this.
- (chuckles) - And I want you to take over.
Moving and spinning and turning. Moving and spinning and turning.
And I want you to keep that relaxed moving and spinning and turning happening,
and I'm gonna let go, and you keep the motion going. Okay? Moving and
spinning and turning. Great. Great. Great. Keep going with that.
Moving and spinning and turning. Moving faster. Faster. Slower.
Moving and spinning and turning. Faster. Faster. Slower.
Moving and spinning and turning. Moving and spinning and turning.
Now I want you to keep that motion going. And I want you to think about
your heart. I want you to think about how your heart beats automatically
to fulfill the needs of your body. In the same way, your arms move
automatically. Moving, spinning, and turning. Even as your try to stop them
from moving and spinning and turning, they continue to move and spin and turn
automatically like beating of your heart to fulfill the needs of your body.
Moving and spinning and turning. Moving and spinning and turning.
Now, when I touch your forehead, you are gonna start reversing the
moving and spinning and turning, okay? I'm gonna touch your forehead,
and reverse. Moving and spinning and turning. Don't smile, don't think, don't
think. Be the heart. Beat to fulfill the needs of your body. And reverse.
Reverse.
Moving and spinning and turning. No laughing. And reverse.
Try hard. We really need to make this happen. Moving and spinning and happening.
Moving and spinning and turning. Moving and spinning and reverse.
Okay, and now I'm gonna touch you on the forehead once more, and this time
your right arm is gonna drop, and your left arm is gonna continue to in motion.
Moving and spinning and turning. Drop.
- (Rhett struggling to contain laughter) - Moving and spinning and turning.
Moving and spinning and turning. This is not funny in any way. (laughing)
- (containing laughter) - Moving and spinning and turning.
Now, I'm gonna touch your forehead one more time and that arm's gonna
go limp and you're gonna fall into a deep sleep. Moving and spinning and
tu-- (laughing) Moving and spinning and turning.
(through laughter) I feel like I'm eating cereal real fast.
- Okay, shh! (laughing) - (eating noises)
Moving and spinning and turning, and...
- Sleep. - (hand thumps on leg)
- (everyone on an offscreen laughing) - Your eyes are watering.
- That is a sign of being in a trance. - I'm in a trance!
You're crying a little bit, (laughing) and so am I.
My eyes are watering a little bit too. I don't know why.
- Am I in a trance? - Was there any moment when that
felt like there coulda been something to it.
- It's a good workout. - (crew offscreen laughing)
- My shoulders really… - "It's a good workout. I'm about to cry."
- You've got one more chance at this. - Yeah, okay.
- ♪ (eerie bells) ♪ - The bionic arm method.
So you were just making up some of that stuff to make me look stupid, right?
No. I did not make up any of that. It was verbatim from...
bona fide sources. I didn't make any of it up.
- Okay. And I haven't either so far. - It's a speed hypnosis test.
- And this is a legitimate one. - Is this one gonna work?
This one is intended for children. So maybe it's just simpler. I want you
- to think like a child for this one. - Okay. Easy enough.
- Have you ever heard of a bionic arm? - Are you doing that?
- Yeah. - Or are you just making conversation,
'cause that's a weird starting point for a conversation.
- Be a child. Have you ever heard of - Okay.
- a bionic arm? - (childlike voice) Yes.
I wanna tell you something about the six-million-dollar man, but I'm kinda
afraid if I tell you, you're just gonna go tell everybody.
- No, tell me. - Oh, do you wanna know a secret about
- the six-million-dollar man's arm? - Yeah.
Oh. Well, one of these days, the six-million-dollar man was at home...
- ♪ (calming music) ♪ - …listening to music. On his radio.
- It's like this. - Okay.
And he started to notice something very peculiar about one of his arms.
- Can my mom come back in? - He noticed something very peculiar about
- one of his arms. Yes, this arm. - What?
Yes. He started noticing that it got very stiff. Stiff as a board.
- That arm was getting very stiff. - Yes.
And the stiffer it got, he began to close his eyes...
- Oh. - …and have a very pleasant dream,
- because this was his dreaming arm. - (crew offscreen laughing)
- (Rhett) And the -- (laughing) - (laughing) What?
The dream only lasted as long as the arm was up. And every time he brought
the stiff arm up, he had a new dream. Tell me about the dream.
I dream that I'm running away.
From a creepy man.
- I'm running in a wood. A forest. - Mhm.
I'm afraid.
- (crew offscreen laughing) - I'm really afraid.
(Link) Oh.
- Okay. - Tell me about the dream.
And then I get to a house. Made of candy. And weapons.
- And I take some of the weapons. - And the dream is over.
♪ (music stops abruptly) ♪
(crew offscreen laughing)
- (laughing) - And what?
- You've been hypnotized! - You got that one from a different
- website. And that website should be - (Rhett and crew offscreen laughing)
- taken down. - No, man! That's the bionic arm method.
- Bionic arm method? Like I had to make - Yeah.
- up a story? - It makes people go back and remember
- things. You remembered somethin'. - Well, note to self: don't do the bionic
arm… thingy on anybody, ever. You could be arrested for that.
Okay. All right. Well, none of those worked, but maybe it's 'cause it's the
- first time we've tried. We'll keep trying. - Yeah, let's explode the comments with
debates about the validity of hypnosis. Thanks for liking and commenting on
- this video. - You know what time it is.
I'm TJ, and I'm from the UK. And this is my lovely dog, [Mack.]
And it's time to spin The Wheel of Mythicality!
Get your Rhett & Link Good Mythical Morning bobble heads at
rhettandlink.com/store! And thanks to all of you who have already gotten these
and are posting pictures of them around the world using #GMMBobble.
So much fun! Click through to Good Mythical More, where we share
what we really think about speed hypnosis. Get candid.
"Link gets brain surgery while awake."
Hey, man. Whaaaat's happening?
Oooh! You coulda had some anesthetic, at least. Guh!
Now, I just want you to tell me about a dream you had, and I'm gonna poke on
- a certain part of your brain. - Uhhh… A friend of mine went to a
weeeeeeeee-bsite, and then he had a good idea
tooooooooooo ge ge ge ge.
- Ugh… - Is your arm getting stiff?
[Captioned by Kevin: GMM Captioning Team]